Shattered Promises

Samuel stopped the car in front of the hospital. Sherett followed him inside without any resistance. She didn't know why she agreed to his words without objection. Anyway, after everything terrible that had already happened to her, there was nothing left to lose. She had no reason left to worry.

The lady doctor who was checking Sherett was around 40 to 45 years old and seemed quite experienced. While applying the bandage, she carefully observed the marks on Sherett's body and her sunken cheeks.

"Did this man do this to you?" she asked, pointing towards Samuel.

Sherett opened her mouth to speak, but the sting of the medicine turned her voice into nothing more than a gasp. She shook her head in denial.

Hearing the doctor's question, Samuel's fists clenched tightly. Despite his efforts to control himself, his anger flared up.

"It would be better if you focused on treating your patient as a doctor, rather than interrogating like the police," he said, glaring angrily at the doctor.

His sharp tone made the doctor bristle. "Don't even try to scare or threaten me," she snapped back otherwise

Grinding the Millstone in Jail… You'll be seen doing that soon.

"I'm not as naive as this girl to get scared by your hollow threats," Sherett grabbed the doctor's hand and said in a panicked voice, "No, Doctor, you are misunderstanding him."

Samuel had been holding himself back since morning, but the accusation the doctor had just thrown at him pushed him over the edge. "You…" he began, gritting his teeth and moving toward the doctor. But just then, his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, and instantly, his anger disappeared, replaced by a sweet smile. Without saying a word, he walked out.

The doctor took a deep breath and started bandaging Sherett, mumbling, "Oh God, what a rude man! You should complain about him. Is he involved with someone else? Why did he go outside to talk on the phone instead of answering it right here?"

The doctor seemed to be overthinking things, but who could blame her? Given the condition Sherett had arrived in, anyone would assume Samuel was responsible for her state.

"You are misunderstanding him. He's just a stranger trying to help me. He brought me here out of humanity after seeing me in this condition," Sherett said softly.

The word "stranger" brought a sting to her heart. It was true, though. What did she really know about Samuel, except for his name? Maybe he belonged to a well-off family and was rich; after all, he handed her a 30 lakh cheque as if it was a trivial amount for him. But after what happened between them last night, they were practically strangers again.

Samuel walked away from the doctor's cabin, a bit further. He couldn't decide whether to take the call or not, and by the time he made up his mind, the call had disconnected. He waited for a while, but it didn't come again.

Taking a deep breath, he lit a cigarette and took a puff. "Anna always behaves like this," he thought. "She has no patience at all. If there's even a slight delay, she sulks like a child."

He stood there for a while, lost in his thoughts, smoking his cigarette.

He stood there, smoking his cigarette until it burned completely to ashes. Just as he turned back to go inside, his phone rang again. A wave of relief washed over his face. She had left him last night, but was she trying to make up for it today? With that thought, he answered the call.

"Hello," Samuel replied with a smile.

On the other side, he was greeted with the sweetest voice, one that calmed his heart. If it were up to him, he would listen to Anna's voice forever.

"Hey Samuel, how are you? Were you busy? You took a long time to answer," came the soft voice from the other end.

"No, not really. Did you want to talk about something?" Samuel asked, trying to sound normal.

"Samuel, I'm really sorry about yesterday," she said.

A gentle smile spread across Samuel's face. Clearing his throat, he replied, "Ah… well, sorry not accepted. Now you have to think of a way to compensate for yesterday's mistake." He chuckled lightly before continuing, "Actually, you don't have to think too hard. I have a suggestion. How about we have dinner tonight at that French restaurant near your place?"

"Uh… Samuel, that's not possible today. I'm actually with Richard right now," Anna's words came out casually, but for Samuel, they struck like a dagger.

The smile vanished from his face, and his expression turned stone-cold. "What do you mean you can't meet me because you're with Richard?" His voice tightened.

On the other end, Anna chirped happily, "Samuel, finally… finally, after all these years, he agreed! I'm with him at Hotel Diamond Palace. We're going to spend the whole day and night together."

Samuel's hands trembled as he pulled out a cigarette. He reached into his pocket for his lighter and tried to light it. The flame refused to spark. He tried once… twice… but the lighter betrayed him. Frustrated, he threw it hard against the wall, shattering it into pieces. He crushed the cigarette in his fist, his eyes blazing with rage.

He glanced back at his phone, his voice strained as he asked, "So… what have you decided now?"

Anna's voice softened, carrying a hint of regret. "I'm sorry, Samuel… but I won't be able to keep my promise. I think… I think Richard is the only one for me."

It felt as though someone had ripped his heart out of his chest. His fists clenched, and he shut his eyes tightly, fighting back the surge of pain and anger. He wanted to throw his phone against the wall—just like he did with the lighter—but he held back.

Gritting his teeth, he shouted, "Richard?! Now he's everything to you? And what about me? What will happen to me? You… you were the one who accepted my proposal, right? I already told my parents about us. They're making wedding preparations! What am I supposed to tell them now? That their future daughter-in-law suddenly changed her mind and is spending her time with someone else at a hotel? That's enough, Anna! There's still time. Come back."

But Anna's voice was heavy with regret. "I'm sorry, Samuel, but it's too late. You are a good person, and I'm sure you'll find someone better."

"Hello… Hello… Samuel, are you listening to me?"

Samuel stared at the phone for a moment, his hands shaking with fury. Finally, he spoke, his voice dripping with bitterness, "You don't need to worry about me. If this is what you want, then fine… so be it."

He disconnected the call, but Anna's final words echoed in his ears. Memories of the moments they had spent together flashed before his eyes, and tears welled up. Her last words lingered painfully in his mind, carving invisible scars on his soul.

Without another thought, he hurled his phone onto the concrete road with all his strength. Just like his shattered heart, the phone burst into pieces, scattering across the ground.